Cyberpunk 2077 devs reveal Metacritic score as reason for the latest delay

After failing to keep their word when they admitted that Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt RED's hyped up open-world game, wouldn't be delayed again with the November release set in stone, the developers confessed the reason for the latest (and hopefully last) delay to one of the most anticipated titles in gaming history, now set to launch 10th December.

Amid controversies that pointed out the extreme workload developers had to overcome in the past few weeks, with massive crunch being the talking point around the game rather than every tidbit of gameplay and story info CD Projekt RED unveiled, with the CEO internally apologising to the employees after downplaying the hardships of this damaging work culture, it was revealed that the delay had to do more with the Metacritic score instead.

Why was Cyberpunk 2077 delayed to December?

In a conference call, with the transcript available on CD Projekt RED's website, the CEO of the company, Adam Kicinski, mentioned that a more polished product can ensure not only a high rating and good reception from the gaming community but also better sales as a result.

"We believe that the 21-day shift shouldn’t change anything (regarding Metacritic); it just moves sales and we really focus on the long-term perspective in terms of sales," he stated, adding that  "having better quality and a better initial reaction to the game always works in favor of sales; that’s why we are delaying."

• Read more: Cyberpunk 2077 developers receiving death threats over third delay

The VP of Business Development within the company, Michal Nowakawski, would expand upon this subject, saying that reaching a 90 or more Metacritic score was always their target, and this delay just helps them ensure they can achieve such a feat.

“When it comes to Metacritic, we continuously aim at a 90+ game, so nothing has changed here; this remains the goal and, as Adam mentioned, this is actually the main reason for postponing the release. We want to give the game an extra polish."

So far, CDP's track record on Metacritic has been favourable, however, their only title that's able to reach the 90+ threshold on the platform has been The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, alongside expansions such as Blood and Wine or Hearts of Stone.

• Read more: Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077: Who is Johnny Silverhand?

Where do you think Cyberpunk 2077 will land on the Metacritic site? If you're keen to learn more about the game, check out our amazingly detailed weapons guide to get you geared up and ready for the game's launch.